The Speech

Acting Minister Ong called for a rethink of the typical Singaporean mindset to education. He wants to shift our education system to focus more on giving students the freedom to choose what they want to study, based on “passions, aspirations, and needs”.

He envisions the higher education landscape to evolve with the changing aspirations and more complex goals — while still serving the country’s needs.

The rethinking of the meaning of higher education must include the fact that the collective good is attained, or in fact, can only be attained — by the ability of individuals to pursue their own talents and passion.

Diverse Education Paths

Sounds good so far, but what if there aren’t enough places for some of these passionate students to get into a course of their choice?

Well, Minister Ong definitely thought way ahead of us.

He addressed that policymakers will be opening up different educational pathways to help these students fulfil their aspirations.

That is a key reason why we are increasing the university cohort participation rate of our students from about 30% today to 40% by 2020 — an eight-fold increase since 1980. We are growing the number of university places for our people not by adding more of the same, but in the form of new programmes and new institutions. It is not a cookie cutter but a full range – square pegs, round pegs, and all types of fantastical shapes.

Wait what.

Yup, not just one cookie cutter, but a full range. Of all “fantastical” shapes even!

Finally the day has come

The importance of skill-based learning is finally being put into place. For years, we have heard the government talking about how it’s not always about the textbooks, and that skill-based learning is as useful, but no one has been putting their words into actions.

It’s definitely great news that this situation is finally being acted upon.

Minister Ong hopes to achieve this multi-dimensional, qualitative change through SkillsFuture — an initiative which was launched last year, to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop to their fullest potential throughout life, regardless of their starting points.

A great idea

This initiative will definitely be a great way to identify the aspirations of our youths. With such mindsets in place, creativity and dreams will become a second nature – and hopefully the beginning of modern discoveries from this little red dot to all around the world.

Now that the government has already done their part, it’s our turn.

For this transformation to happen, we too have to play a part by recognizing and encouraging these skilled workers.

What is beyond Government’s and universities’ control — and rightly so — is how society regards and recognises a skilled worker, a craftsman and a master. This will have to be part of the continuing evolution as a society,

Like this post and MustShareNews’ Facebook page to keep up with our posts!